


Socially Unacceptable

by GeckoBoy



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Cuban Lance (Voltron), Galaxy Garrison, Gay Keith (Voltron), Hunk and Lance are roommates, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Korean Keith (Voltron), Mentions of drugs, Minor Keith/Shiro (Voltron), Multi, Pining Lance (Voltron), Pre-Kerberos Mission, Social Media, Texting, The garrison is a college, aged up pidge, lance is bad at relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-02-02 17:30:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12731091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeckoBoy/pseuds/GeckoBoy
Summary: Lance makes it into the Galaxy Garrison with flying colours and is offered a 3 year scholarship, along with his best friend Hunk.After a year of working hard but being caught sneaking out of his dorm every night, Lance is asked to be a part of a buddy system to help Iverson bring back a student with disciplinary issues. He has one rule that is almost impossible for him to stick to:Stop Keith Kogane getting himself into any more trouble.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had the worst thing happen to me this weekend and my laptop had a meltdown and no longer works, so I lost ALL my chapters for my other fics that I was working on. Until I get it back, have this to make up for the lack of updates, because I couldn't resist writing until Sunday.

_Group chat: BlueBOI, Gordon Ramsey’s Replacement, Pidgeon._

_June 20 th 2017_

_11:08 am_

BlueBOI: GUYS

BlueBOI: BIG NEWS

Pidgeon: If this is another update about your love life Lance, I’d rather you spare me the details.

Gordon Ramsey’s Replacement: Gotta agree with Pidge on that one.

Gordon Ramsey’s Replacement: Also am not making the journey to your house to help you if you’ve got something stuck again Lance, last time was gross.

Pidgeon: I’m already traumatised.

BlueBOI: GUYS NO

BlueBOI: THIS IS HUGE

Pidgeon: *insert dick joke here*

Gordon Ramsey’s Replacement: Gross

BlueBOI: Remember I told you about that guy that got kicked out of school for fighting with some of the guys on the football team last year?

Gordon Ramsey’s Replacement: No?

Pidgeon: Know what you’re talking about, but I didn’t hear from you

BlueBOI: ANYWAY

BlueBOI: Point is I got called in to speak with Iverson this morning again, thought I was in Deep Shit™

BlueBOI: Turns out he’s coming back next year, so they wanted someone to watch him and make sure he doesn’t cause any more shit. That person is apparently your boy right here.

Gordon Ramsey’s Replacement: Oh shit

Pidgeon: Damn. So, you’re on babysitting duty for a while?

BlueBOI: Looks like it.

BlueBOI: Why me though? I got caught sneaking out like, every weekend for the last month.

Gordon Ramsey’s Replacement: You aren’t exactly careful

Pidgeon: True. Wasn’t it Nyma last time?

Gordon Ramsey’s Replacement: Yeah, it was Nyma. She stood him up.

Pidgeon: RIP

Gordon Ramsey’s Replacement: Took about 5 trays of cookies to stop him whining like a baby about it.

BlueBOI: Wow guys.

BlueBOI: I’M STILL RECOVERING FROM THE HEARTBREAK

Pidgeon: Whatever. We all know you moved on pretty quick, Lance.

BlueBOI: What can I say? The ladies can’t keep awayyyy

Pidgeon: Keep telling yourself that, Lance.

* * *

 

_2 months later_

Lance never thought he would get into the Garrison when he first applied. It was more a case of trying to convince Hunk that he could do it, even though Lance wanted more than anything to one day go to space. The program the Galaxy Garrison offered was something he simply couldn’t refuse; if he got in, he would be given a full college education through a scholarship, and would be trained to operate high tech equipment that would one day be launched into space, with the possibility of being able to go there himself one day too. It was all a little but much for Lance at first, but after being convinced that it would be such a brilliant experience by Hunk, he eagerly applied too.

What he didn’t expect was to pass his entrance exams with flying colours, managing to get a place among the top 5 students in his year, alongside Hunk. His family were so proud of him, that there was no way they could stop him from going. He was the first of his 5 siblings to be going to college, and for _free._ Lance swore that his poor mother nearly had a heart attack when she saw his acceptance letter with the scholarship offer, much to his horror at having to help her sit back down at the kitchen table and drink some water before she made herself ill.

In truth, the Garrison was the best thing that had ever happened to him. He met one of his best friends there, and Hunk looked so much happier than he had done back in their time at school, and in all honesty, Lance felt it too. It had been amazing in his first year, and with the start of the second fast approaching, he was feeling the same pre-school panic that he had felt every year of his life, only now, it was much more welcome.

“Lance are you ready?” His dad called from the car as he pulled his jacket on.

“Yeah, I’m ready,” He called back, slipping his shoes on and grabbing his bags before heading out to the family car. Although rather battered from its many years of use, the McClain’s car – or minivan, whatever – was reliable, and always reminded Lance of childhood camping trips with his family. All 8 members of his family squeezed into the van with their bags, tents and supplies for a week on a campsite, and what somehow always managed to be a 6-hour car ride was what he had grown to get used to. Of course, since his eldest siblings had moved out, the camping trips had become much less regular, and eventually stopped all together, leaving the car redundant of any long journeys other than the occasional trip to the beach.

Lance checked his phone once more before jumping into the passenger seat of the car and putting his seatbelt on. If he had his own car, he wouldn’t have needed his dad to take him to the train station to get back to the Garrison for the start of the new year, but his lack of job and low sense of motivation that had struck him over the course of the last few weeks had meant that he had nothing left to buy one. Instead, he had managed to convince his dad to drive him half way, which would give him a little more time to speak with him before he went away from home for the first few months.

“Excited?” He asked Lance as he pulled out of the street.

“Why wouldn’t I be? The second year is the best. I already met people last year, and we still have another year before we have any big exams,” Lance told him with a smile. “So, yes. That means college parties,” He added, gaining a small chuckle from his father. He continued to talk happily as he drove, which for Lance, was completely normal. He still loved being able to spend time with his family, even if his father worked a lot and they rarely got the chance to speak just between the two of them.

He nearly missed his train because the two of them couldn’t stop talking, but with a bit of extra effort to haul his bags through the train station and sprinting to the platform just seconds before it was about to leave, Lance made it, and even got himself a free table to sit at with plenty of room for his bags. It only took about an hour to get to the stop he needed to get to, and a short walk from the stop to the Garrison was far from eventful. He knew that there was not much chance of him seeing Hunk of Pidge for another few days, but that gave him chance to get settled back into his dorm and try and wrap his head around the job he had been given.

The guy he was meant to be watching was, from what Lance remembered, an asshole. He was one of the smartest people in the year, and yet he caused fights on the daily and had the shittiest attitude problem he had ever experienced. What annoyed Lance the most was that he _still_ managed to get the top grades in the year despite how much he slacked off, and it simply wasn’t fair. Lance worked damn hard to make sure he was staying on course to become a pilot, but this guy? Complete asshole.

* * *

_“Mr. Kogane was one of our most credited students, and it was unfortunate that the events of last year forced my hand in taking him off the program,” Iverson told Lance as he sat in the office. It was way too early, and he was pretty sure that he still had sleep in his eyes, because there was something causing his vision to blur slightly in his left eye. “Fortunately, we have been able to… settle the differences between the students who found issues with working with him, and so I’m happy to say that he will be returning to the Garrison at the start of next year,”_

_Lance gave Iverson a confused look for a moment. “Sorry, Sir. I don’t think you have the right person,” He began, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. “You realise Keith and I never spoke to one another, right? Why would him coming back to the Garrison affect me in any way?”_

_“Let me finish, McClain,” Iverson told him firmly as he stood up from his chair. “Mr. Kogane is on a strict contract for his return, and I fear that sending the assistants from the program to keep an eye on him will only encourage more reckless behaviour than we saw last time. I brought you here, McClain, because I want you to make sure that Kogane doesn’t get into any trouble while he’s here.”_

_“And what, you’re doing this because I’m a bad influence myself and you’re trying to teach me a lesson?” Lance asked him. Iverson glared at him for a moment and Lance’s head dropped down. “Sorry, Sir…”_

_“If I wanted to teach you a lesson for sneaking out of the building so much, I’d make you bunk with the first years next year,” He pointed out. Lance’s face paled slightly, not wanting to lose the comfort he had in sharing a dormitory with his best friend. “I’m asking you to do this because, as much as I hate to admit it, you have a charm about you that may be able to convince Keith to trust you enough that he’ll stop, or at least tell you what he plans on doing so that we can put a stop to it before any more accidents happen,”_

_Lance nodded reluctantly. He didn’t want to have to babysit Keith Kogane all year. Hell, he didn’t even want him to be coming back. In fact, he was pretty sure that Keith wouldn’t fall for Iverson’s ‘genius’ plan anyway, but he accepted nonetheless, because he had no other choice. He would just have to think of something that would convince Keith that he wasn’t trying to stop him from being a hard ass while he was supposed to be studying._

* * *

 

_13 new messages._

_6 missed calls._

(12:07) Shiro: Keith we need to talk.

(12:10) Shiro: I know you’re trying to ignore me, but it isn’t going to work.

(12:11) Shiro: Keith I’m at your house right now.

(12:11) Shiro: Your cat keeps trying to eat my hand.

(12:15) [MISSED CALL FROM SHIRO]

(12:17) Shiro: Come on, Keith. I swear your parents are trying to smother me with affection and it’s weird.

(12:20) Shiro: Way to treat your best friend when he finally gets back from space, Keith.

(12:20) Shiro: Who, by the way, just got you your scholarship back.

(12:22) Shiro: You’re welcome by the way.

(12:25) [MISSED CALL FROM SHIRO]

(12:30) Shiro: You’re doing this on purpose now.

(12:33) [MISSED CALL FROM SHIRO]

(12:34) [MISSED CALL FROM SHIRO]

(12:40) Shiro: KEITH REALLY?

(12:40) Shiro: Okay so you’re either asleep somewhere or you’re high and ignoring me and I think I know which it is.

(12:44) [MISSED CALL FROM SHIRO]

(12:50) Shiro: Your mom said there’s baby photos coming out if you don’t get back soon.

(12:51) [MISSED CALL FROM SHIRO]

(12:55) Shiro: I’m putting fliers up for a new best friend Keith. You suck.

(13:01) Keith: Shiro, you realise I can’t drive home from work _and_ text you back, right?

(13:02) Shiro: KEITH

(13:02) Shiro: IT LIVES

(13:03) Keith: Wow, okay. Firstly, rude.

(13:03) Keith: Secondly, you know its rude to bother someone by messaging them 13 FUCKING TIMES IN AN HOUR AND LEAVING THEM WITH 6 MISSED CALLS?!

(13:03) Shiro: I THOUGHT YOU WERE IGNORING ME

(13:05) Keith: Tell mom I’m almost home, I had to get gas

(13:06) Shiro: Missed you too Keith. Space was very lonely without such a good best friend to keep me company. I almost lost my mind without your love and support.

(13:07) Keith: Space clearly didn’t change you, Takashi.

In all fairness, Keith _had_ been at work when Shiro had started trying to get hold of him. The fact that he ignored the calls because he had been preoccupied with something other than work was another matter that he would conveniently forget to mention when he got home. He hopped back onto his bike and shoved his helmet back on before starting to drive back down the busy streets back to his parent’s house. Of course, he still lived with them, but that didn’t mean he particularly wanted to. They practically suffocated him with affection (which he, admittedly, did feel sorry for Shiro hearing that he had to witness first hand), and having turned 19 on his last birthday, he was starting to find that he wanted his own space.

He really did have to thank Shiro for getting him his place at the Garrison back. It was a final chance, and he knew that there was a high possibility of the same thing happening again, but he had been willing to try again and get through this year to prove to his parents, to prove to Shiro, and to prove to Iverson and all the shits that had mocked him there, that he could do it. The one problem he had, was that he hated listening to people that he didn’t like. Sure, Shiro would be there this year, but the fact that Iverson was still in charge of the program meant that he would definitely not be paying any attention when he needed to. After all, how could it be _his_ fault if he fell asleep in lectures he already knew the content for?

After lazily parking the bike on the drive, Keith hopped off and pulled his helmet from off his head before very reluctantly walking in through the garage. Of course, his mom was expecting him home way earlier than he had actually got back, but when didn’t the excuse of bad traffic work? He knew he’d get away with spending a little extra time with some old school friends on the way back home. He was pretty sure that he didn’t smell too badly of smoke, at the very least. Keith had only just opened the door when he was attacked, and practically pinned to the floor by Shiro, who gave one of his signature bone-crushing hugs that were completely inescapable.

“Nice to see you too,” Keith groaned as he was sure he heard a rib break. Shiro pulled back and messed his hair up in response, gaining a displeased glare from a tired looking Keith.

“At least _act_ like you’re happy to see me, Kogane,” Shiro teased, helping pull his friend back to his feet. “What happened, Keith? I go to space for a few months and you grow a mullet? Is this another phase-“

“Don’t you start too, mom hasn’t stopped since I stopped having it cut,” He complained as he put his helmet down in the kitchen and walked to the fridge. “How long have you been back?”

“Got back this morning, but I couldn’t leave physio until 11,” He told me with a smile. “You’re gonna go mad if you can’t see it for yourself one day, Keith. It’s incredible. Honestly.”

“Oh, I believe you. And I probably would have been up there already if it wasn’t for that-“

“Look who’s finally home. An hour late, yet again,” Keith stopped mid-sentence as his mother walked into the kitchen and walked over with a warm smile. “Keith, after Shiro goes home I need you to go and pack-“

“Mom I don’t leave for another 3 days, chill out,” Keith argued as he grabbed a can of coke from the fridge and cracked it open with his teeth. “Is this about the stupid buddy system Iverson is making me-“

“You got put on the _buddy system?!_ ” Shiro asked with a laugh. Keith glared at him again, but he didn’t stop laughing. “How much do you want to bet that you’re put with one of the cheerleaders you traumatised by beating the shit out of their boyfriends?”

“I’m sure your buddy will be nice, Keith,” His mom reassured him as she carefully tried to neaten his birds nest of hair before walking over to the coffee machine.

“Nice enough that they’ll let me sneak out again?” He teased.

_One new message_

_(14:24) UNKNOWN NUMBER: Hey man, Iverson gave me your number, so I could let you know who I was before classes started. The name’s Lance, I’ve been assigned as your buddy for the year_

Keith groaned.

“Class doesn’t start for a week and I’m already practically under house arrest,” He complained as he showed Shiro the message.

“Reply to it then. Don’t be an asshole, I know it’s second nature for you but-“

“Okay, okay…”

_(14:27) Keith: Great. Look, I know Iverson put you on this whole buddy thing, but it’s cool if you want to let it slide. Both of us know that we don’t want to have to spend all of our time with each other anyway. I won’t tell if you won’t._

_(14:28) Lance: I get that. I don’t want to be your babysitter. Sadly, I’m on a contract that I’ve gotta follow so it looks like we’re stuck with each other for a while._

_(14:28) Keith: Greatttttt_

_(14:29) Lance: You’re saved under ‘Misused Sarcasm’ until you stop that._

_(14:30) Keith: Better than nothing I guess._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Classes at the Garrison start the year of stressful, and Keith finds himself already in trouble with Iverson before Lance can do anything to convince him to act otherwise. Not that he needs tips on how to live his life, of course.
> 
> Lance soon finds that Keith fits more stereotypes for a delinquent than he first expected, but he's determined not to give up. He doesn't want to get kicked from the Garrison too, after all. 
> 
> Keith, it turns out, seems to run into trouble more easily than he expected him to.

“And make sure you call us every other day just so we know-“

“Mom, I’m not going to die, okay?” Keith insisted as he shoved the last of his bags into the back of Shiro’s car. She gave him a worried look before pulling him into a tight hug and gently neatening his hair as she did. “I’ll call you on Thursday nights to let you know what’s happening, okay?”

“That’s good enough for me,” She confirmed, letting him go after a moment and kissing his forehead. “Stay out of trouble. And make sure you study and-“

“Got it,” He insisted, pulling away with a small smile and climbing into the passenger seat of the car.

“I’ll try my best to keep him in line, Krolia,” Shiro assured her with a roll of his eyes. She smiled at them both from the doorstep and waved as the car slowly pulled out of the driveway and headed down the street. “Aaaaaaand the coast is finally clear for you to smoke,”

Keith practically scrambled into the back and dug out the new pack of cigarettes and a lighter from the bottom of his backpack and slumped back into his seat with a relieved sigh as he lit one up. “You have no idea how long it’s been since-“

“My guess is about a day?” Shiro chuckled as he stole one for himself and lit it up as he approached the junction at the end of the road. “But I get it. I know it’s not easy to stop,”

“At least you don’t have your parents around to stop you. You’ve got your own place and everything,” Keith grumbled, putting his feet up on the dashboard and blowing the smoke out of the window lazily. As much as Keith loved his parents, he knew that they would probably flay him if they ever found out that he had been smoking since the age of 16. Of course, it had only been three years, but what was stopping them from trying to ban him from leaving the house? Not him, that was for sure.

“This year is gonna suck ass,” Keith said after a while of silence between the two friends as the radio played softly in the car. “I don’t even think I’ll be able to sneak out to buy smokes. I might actually die from withdrawal symptoms,”

“From the smokes or the drugs?” Shiro asked with a smirk. Keith flipped him off. “Speaking of this year sucking ass, have you heard from your buddy since last week?”

Keith instinctively checked his phone as Shiro mentioned Lance. They hadn’t really spoken other than the odd text Lance would send asking Keith ridiculous questions that nobody sane would need to know the answer to. Admittedly, Keith found some of the things he had said a little funny, although he would never say that out loud. He was supposed to hate this kid anyway, because he was going to be the only person in the way of him and the freedom of being outside of the Garrison grounds after hours; something he had been lucky enough to experience every night he was there the previous year.

“He’s kind of annoying,” Keith admitted. “He literally text me asking who I thought would win in a fight between a dragon and a dinosaur last night,”

Shiro snorted and shook his head. “What did you say?”

“Nothing. I told him to go to sleep because it was 2 in the fucking morning,” He replied as he lazily scrolled through his phone. “Like, I know my sleeping pattern is fucked, but being that awake at 2am is ridiculous. Especially if you feel the need to wake everyone else up just because you can’t sleep. That’s just damn unfair,”

“Sounds like he’s gonna be your best friend this year, Keith,” Shiro teased, his words dripping with sarcasm. Keith scoffed and changed the radio station to the CD in the stereo, resting his head on the back of the seat.

“Why are you still listening to the same mix that we made when I was 15?” Keith asked Shiro as he listened to the familiar songs that the two of them had illegally downloaded and compiled onto a disk when Shiro first got his car. He had fond memories of listening to these songs, and was pretty sure that he knew every word to each of them that had played so far.

“Well for one, they’re really good songs. It’s kind of nice to be able to look back whenever I get in the car for a drive I guess,” He thought aloud as they pulled onto a busier road. “Secondly, it’s the only CD I own, so there wasn’t much competition,” He added. Keith rolled his eyes and then faked looking offended.

“I’ll have you know that with this in your car, there will always be a competition with what shit you play. This playlist is the best I’ve ever listened to,” He argued, coaxing a laugh from Shiro. “And that isn’t just because I chose the songs, I swear.”

“Sure, it isn’t,”

 

 

_One new message_

(10:05) Lance: Dude he’s just turned up and Iverson is ALREADY yelling at him!

(10:07) Hunk: Wait, where?

(10:07) Lance: Literally in the hall right now. I can hear them arguing from our room. Hurry up and come back and you might be able to get me details!

(10:08) Hunk: Lance, you know that I’m not ditching my robotics project with Pidge just for your gossiping.

(10:08) Lance: :(

(10:09) Hunk: No, Lance.

(10:09) Lance: Come onnnnnnnnn

(10:10) Hunk: No.

(10:10) Lance: You’re no fun sometimes.

In truth, Lance had just been incredibly bored and wanted something to do other than stare at his computer screen for another hour in the silence of his dorm. Without Hunk there, it was almost like the piece of home he had grown accustomed to feeling when he spent his free time with his best friend playing Mario Kart on their small TV, or sneaking food and binge-watching cooking shows. Today, he felt like there was nothing that could drag him from his boredom.

He kicked away from his desk, sending himself wheeling across the room on his desk chair and half turning toward the door to his dorm. Pidge and Hunk had a robotics project to get started on, and he didn’t exactly feel like falling asleep as they drew up schematics for the ROVER that Pidge had brainstormed in the holidays. In fact, Lance simply wanted to get out of his room and do something that wasn’t sitting on the internet, because as much as he relied on it to socially function, he missed being able to speak to other people in person.

After a while of spinning around hopelessly on his chair, Lance decided to get up and try sitting in the common room. What could go wrong with him attempting to make conversation with the other students anyway? He’d always had a way with people, so making new friends that he could go to when he couldn’t sit with Hunk or Pidge couldn’t be too hard. He changed out of his Garrison uniform and into his favourite shirt and jeans before slipping his shoes and jacket on and heading out of his room.

The common room was never extremely busy, but with most of the tables and sofas filled with people, Lance found himself sitting on the far table in the corner, simply observing the room and waiting for something to happen that was a little out of the ordinary. He didn’t have to wait long – of course he didn’t. Keith Kogane’s appearance in the common room stopped all conversations, even though he wasn’t paying any attention to anybody else inside. People watched him as he casually walked over to the lockers and leaned against them, carefully unlocking the red locker to his left and opening it silently. People started whispering then, some wondering how he got back into the Garrison, others silently placing bets on how long he’d last with bet totals scribbled onto scraps of paper on the desks.

Lance just watched him curiously from behind a book he had been pretending to read. As much as he wanted to hate Kogane, he couldn’t deny that he was interesting. Mysterious and quiet, but not scared to stand up for himself if he needed to. Keith was a refreshing breeze in the common room to Lance, even if the other students thought otherwise. It made things different; the awkward tension that hung in the air was strange and almost intoxicating, and Lance both loved it and hated it at the same time. How could somebody who had been away for so long still draw such a reaction from their peers?

“Lance?” He blinked at the sound of his name leaving an unfamiliar mouth. Keith was talking to him. Willingly.

“Huh?” He shook himself out of his thoughts properly and glanced around the room again.

“Are you okay? You were zoned out for about 10 minutes,” Keith said in a quiet voice. Lance nodded, probably too enthusiastically. “I asked if anyone was sitting here,”

“Oh… Sorry. No, I’m on my own today,” He said just as quietly. Keith nodded and hesitantly took a seat near the wall, kicking his legs up and resting them on the table. With another glance around the room, Lance could see that eyes were still on Keith, and now, they were on Lance too. He felt a little uncomfortable, not knowing whether the attention he was getting was the right kind or not. “Is there a reason you came to sit here or-“

“Buddy system,” Keith replied quickly, cutting him off. “Iverson just threatened my scholarship again for smoking on the grounds. Utter bullshit if you ask me,” Lance almost laughed. Keith fitted all of the stereotypes people put him under.

“I guess you’re here so I can tell you to stop it then?” Lance teased, causing Keith to groan in frustration.

“I don’t know why I’m even trying,” He noted, moving to stand up. “You’re an asshole, you know that?”

“Takes one to know one, Kogane.” Lance snapped back.

Keith glared at him for a moment before storming off, pushing his chair over as he stood and left the common room with the gaze of the other students following him. After a few long seconds of awkward silence, the gazes settled back on Lance, and he found himself hiding his face inside the book once more as the usual chatter of the common room erupted again immediately. Maybe Keith was right. He was an asshole. Or was it that he couldn’t connect with some people? He and Keith clashed. They were pretty much polar opposites, and Lance knew that it was entirely possible that they were never meant to be friends. This whole buddy system bullshit was going to wear thin very quickly, and it wasn’t just him that was concerned about it.

Iverson grew increasingly irritated over the next few days before their classes started. Every time Lance caught sight of him talking to Keith in the corridor, he seemed angrier than he had the last time. He managed to stick around to hear what he had to say for the most part, but most of the time, it was just warnings about being out of bed after curfew, or not attending sessions he was supposed to in the mornings. Lance eventually stopped caring, and sat with Pidge and Hunk in their spot in the common room as normal, sitting alone together, awaiting just one text that would help him try and fix what he had caused by being annoying, yet again.

 

 

(17:50) Keith: Shiro

(17:50) Keith: Asshole

(17:51) Keith: Takashi

(17:52) Keith: I’m walking out of here

(17:55) Shiro: What did you do this time?

(17:56) Keith: I didn’t do anything. Lance was an asshole and pissed me off, I walked out and then Iverson yelled at me for not going to anger management classes.

(17:59) Shiro: Then why don’t you just go?

(18:00) Keith: Very funny. You’re making me die with laughter.

(18:02) Shiro: They might actually work, Keith. I’m just saying.

(18:02) Shiro: Besides, I’m pretty sure they let you throw shit around and break stuff for free, which is totally your thing anyway.

(18:03) Keith: It’s my thing when I’m not supposed to be doing it

Even with his parents’ money to pay for unshared accommodation at the Garrison, Keith felt like he had no space.

It wasn’t like he had anyone in his space all the time, but he wanted nothing more than to be back at home in his own bed, with his own belongings, and somewhere familiar, during the week. Of course, he didn’t live too far away, so the weekends could always be visits home, but he didn’t want to seem like he was too dependent on his family. In fact, he was pretty sure that most people thought he didn’t have a family at all. Most people were always so open about it, and yet the only person Keith had ever opened up to was to Shiro, and they had been friends since Keith was only a child.

Of course, with Shiro being in and out of meetings about missions he could be going on, he didn’t really have anybody to talk to for the first two weeks at the Garrison. In fact, he didn’t feel like himself at all, because so far, he had actually stuck to the rules and hadn’t managed to sneak out, or start any arguments, or even miss a piece of homework. It was probably the most organised that Keith had ever been, and all of it was simply down to loneliness and nothing else. He felt pushed out, as weird as it sounded. By Shiro, but his parents, by the other students at the Garrison (not that it was their fault, because Keith would openly admit that it was him that pushed them away, not the other way around).

Instead of trying to find someone inside the Garrison to spend the evening trying to talk to, Keith decided that a meet up with some ‘friends’ would probably be the only thing that could cheer him up and force him to relax. He quickly sent some texts before quietly leaving his room and walking down the familiar corridors toward his usual exit. It would be easy: get out, sneak past the guards, meet up with his ‘friends’, smoke for a while, then cover all of his clothes in enough body spray that the distinct smell of drugs would not be as noticeable on him. He’d done it before, and was used to sneaking around so much anyway, so making it out of the main building was easy, but with the additional security outside that night, Keith found it very difficult to find his way out without being seen.

But of course, he had been in too many situations that required him to be sneaky in the past. He knew what he was doing when it came to getting from one place to another without being seen – it was one of his best qualities, he thought. He managed to get past the first few corridors on the way out of the building relatively unnoticed, making an excuse quickly when he did get caught that he’d dropped his ID badge outside and needed to go and fetch it. _They always were easy to fool._ Keith thought to himself as he made for the exit; a set of double doors the only thing between himself and the sweet taste of freedom he craved.

Keith didn’t know who to curse first, because when his phone chimed, he was caught. He knew that all of this could have been prevented if he’d only remembered to put his damn phone on silent, but now, this wasn’t Keith’s fault. It was down to whoever had sent him a text. The head of the security guard who had been watching the doors snapped around at the noise, glaring at Keith as he strode over to him. _Fuck._

“You should be in your dorm,” He said sternly, folding his arms over his chest as he looked down at Keith with an untrusting glare.

“I dropped my ID card outside,” Keith repeated, trying to put on his best voice to suit the made-up situation. The man raised an eyebrow. “I need it to get back into my dorm? Like you said, it’s after hours and I should be getting some sleep.”

“… Name?” He questioned hesitantly as he pulled a small note book from his pocket.

“Kogane,”

“Okay, you’re not on my list so go ahead. Straight back or I’ll be keeping an eye out for you, understand?” He pointed the pen he was holding at Keith as he spoke. Keith nodded and turned back to the doors, then, as he finally tasted the sweet air of freedom, he bolted.

The hover bikes were still in their hangars, which, fortunately, were unlocked. From the Garrison, he would probably have to take one that resembled a normal bike, because driving on the roads on a machine designed to fly around in the desert was probably not the best idea. He immediately rushed over to the furthest bike and leaped onto it, the familiar feeling calming his nerves at sneaking out of the Garrison for the first time in a year to keep it just at a slight rush of adrenaline.

He started the engine, and that was it.

 

 

(00:06) Lance: Keith

(00:10) Lance: Buddy

(00:11) Lance: My man

(00:20) Lance: Look man. I’m sorry if I offended you or something. I’m not exactly doing this out of the kindness of my heart, and just so you know, I’m not gonna grass you to Iverson about sneaking out. I’m not that much of an asshole.

(00:37) Lance: I get that you’re mad at me, but I don’t want to be your enemy when we barely know each other

(00:43) Lance: Hunk’s asleep right now, and I promised not to sneak out again without letting him know where I was, so I guess I’m just gonna have to stay and die of boredom.

(00:48) Keith: Dyou think you cpould do me a favouir????????

(00:48) Lance: Keith???

(00:48) Lance: Dude, are you drunk???

(00:50) Keith: yh

(00:50) Lance: Shit… Where are you? I’ll see if I can get someone to come and find you

_[INCOMMING CALL FROM ‘MISUSED SARCASM’]_

Lance answered immediately.

“Keith? Buddy? Are you okay?” He asked in a little under a whisper, careful not to wake Hunk from his peaceful slumber across the room.

“M’fine I just need a ride,” Keith slurred. Lance could hear the sound of rustling down the phone, like paper, and he sat upright in his bed, slipping out of bed and dressing as quietly as he could. “Can you drive?”

“No? Well… I can but I don’t have a licence- Wait… Keith, where are you?” Lance tried, slipping his jacket on and pulling his shoes on before heading out into the dark corridor. Giggling from down the phone, and then full belly laughter. He rolled his eyes.

“Somewhere,” Keith giggled. “Can see th’garrison,”

“How far away are you?”

“Dunno, maybe a mile or two,” Lance groaned quietly.

“Okay, stay on the phone while I sneak out okay? I’m coming to get you,” Keith hummed in response and the line went relatively quiet, with only the rustling of paper and the occasional breath from the other side of the line.

Lance easily found his way onto the ground floor and climbed out of a window, then started looking around for any signs of civilisation that could be seen from the Garrison. In Keith’s state, it was unlikely he would be much help in giving him a location to look, but he tried anyway, managing to pry the golden word ‘McDonalds’ from Keith’s drunken mumbling. He started walking, staying on the line to make sure that he was still alive on the other side by calling his name quietly every couple of minutes, only to get a small giggle or a hum in response, as though he was falling asleep.

He found Keith about 3 miles away, sat against a Garrison hoverbike in the parking lot of an empty McDonalds just on the edge of town. He looked like hell, but was smiling as he shoved nearly cold chicken nuggets into his mouth and smiled blearily at the sight of him, dropping the box that held the fast food and holding his arms out for him. Lance rolled his eyes again and carefully pulled the shorter man up onto his feet, checking to make sure he wasn’t injured.

“Thought you’d leave me,” Keith slurred, leaning against him for support as he struggled to stay upright on his feet.

“Jesus, Keith… How much did you drink- wait… Are you high?” Lance asked. Keith giggled slightly and clung to the sleeve of Lance’s jacket. There was a definite odour that Lance very much recognised, and Keith reeked of it. “Iverson would kick your ass-“

“Don’ tell him pleaseeee,” Keith whined, now hugging Lance’s arm. “I’ll do anythinggggggg,”

Lance blinked as he looked at the drunken boy attached to his arm. Was he really suggesting…? “Keith we need to get you back, now-“

“Can’t go back now,” He interrupted drunkenly. “Help me find a motel for the night?”

He didn’t want to agree, but Keith was right. If he went back to the Garrison in this state, he’d be kicked out immediately. With a little difficulty, Lance led Keith back into the empty McDonalds and ordered him a strong coffee and some replacement chicken nuggets before watching him struggle to eat them in his drunken state. He hadn’t signed up to be an actual babysitter. In all honesty, Lance just wanted to apologise for making a dick of himself in the common room and get this over with. Of course, it wasn’t going to be as easy as that, and he was stuck dealing with a very out of it Keith Kogane with the munchies.

“Thank you, Lance…” Keith mumbled around a chicken nugget that he had shoved into his mouth. That was surprising. “Assholes left me when the cops showed up-“

“The cops?!” Lance almost screeched. “What the hell, Keith?”

“Shhhhhhhh,” He slurred, pressing a finger to Lance’s lips. “We were getting high outside a bar and we didn’t have ID, so the others scarpered, and ‘cause I had the bike I didn’t go with them,” He explained slowly. Lance sighed.

“Do you do this often?” He asked as he rubbed his eyes. “Because I’m not running back into town from the Garrison every night to come and pick your drunk ass up. I’m _not_ your babysitter,” He warned.

Keith almost looked hurt at Lance’s words, and stared down at his now half empty box of chicken nuggets. “Only when I’m sad,”

Lance blinked again. _The things I’ve learned about the one and only Keith Kogane tonight: he drinks his feelings and will do anything to stay at the Garrison._ Lance frowned a little and tried to get him to drink a little coffee, only to watch Keith spill some of it down his white shirt and stain it badly. It was going to be a long night, but he wasn’t just going to leave Keith to his own devices in the town until he knew that the man was completely sober and able to walk in a straight line without the possibility of him blowing chunks all over himself, or Lance.

“Come on, let’s go and book you into a motel for the night,” He told him after he finished his coffee. Keith nodded, and they walked back out into the chill of the night.

When Keith walked over to the bike, Lance felt the colour drain from his face. He hadn’t thought about how they were going to get anywhere, and watching the drunk stumble over to a vehicle he was most definitely not in any state to drive, he had to draw the line. Instead, and with much hesitation, Lance decided to stop him and climb on himself, making sure Keith had the helmet firmly on his head in case something bad were to happen.

The feeling of sitting on a bike was an unfamiliar one in comparison to the cars he was used to practicing in, but he guessed that it worked the same as the quad bikes his dad had taught him to ride as a kid, and after a moment, he managed to get his bearings and become more comfortable. Keith got on the bike behind him and hugged his waist tightly; something Lance internally squeaked at. Sure, Keith was very drunk now, and he probably wouldn’t even remember seeing Lance that night, but the fact that he was so close was making him a little anxious.

“Can you ride a bike, Lance?” Keith whispered into Lance’s ear from over his shoulder, sending a shiver down his spine. Lance shook it off and didn’t respond, only starting the engine and carefully starting to drive the bike out of the parking lot and toward the nearest motel.

Lance couldn’t deny that it was a shaky ride, but he managed to get the two of them there in once piece. With Keith clung to his back and resting his head between his shoulder blades, he realised how important it was to not crash and die, and so he tried as hard as he could to focus on the road and not the body behind him. The motel was, in Lance’s eyes, not worth paying for, but he had to get Keith somewhere to stay for the night, and so he willingly slipped the owner the money before carefully helping him up the stairs to the room he had booked out for him. By this point, he had sobered up slightly, but was still unable to walk in a straight line and couldn’t hold himself up right for long enough to walk by himself.

“Keith get into bed,” Lance sighed as he carefully sat Keith in the room. “I’ve gotta get back to the Garrison before Iverson tears my soul out through my kneecaps-“

“Nope, you’re not leaving me,” Keith argued with a smirk as Lance moved toward the door, grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling him down onto the bed. Lance felt his face flush as he stumbled, only to end up just inches away from Keith’s face. “Stay with me, Lance…” He whispered, leaning in closer.

Lance pushed him off and stood back up. “You’re wasted, Keith. I’m not staying while-“

“I know what I’m doing, McClain. Now c’mere-“

“Keith no,” Lance insisted. Keith stopped from where he was moving toward him on the bed and looked up at him, confused. “If you want me to stay, I will, but I’ll sleep over there, okay?” He pointed to the other side of the bed, and Keith followed and nodded.

“This room sucks,” Keith slurred as he pulled at his jacket clumsily to take it off. He ended up throwing it at the wall opposite the bed and then kicking his boots off in the same direction with no thought of the neighbours next door who would probably have some complaints at the sound of them smacking into the wall. “S’freezing,”

“Yeah? Well it only cost $20 so don’t complain,” Lance told him as he shrugged his own jacket off and lay down as close to the edge of the bed as he could. The room was dark other than the orange light from the street lights outside that was leaking in through the shitty curtains, but it was enough that Lance would be able to drift off if he turned to face away from the windows. Keith, who had taken the side nearest the door, had thrown his shirt and jeans out of the way while Lance was trying to settle, and when his eyes rested back on the drunken man as he shuffled under the sheets, he felt his face heat up.

Sure, Keith was an asshole, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t attractive. Lance couldn’t deny it at all, because he’d secretly always thought that much at least. He didn’t quite realise just how much he thought so until he could see him this close, though. It was very clear that Keith looked after himself, because nothing could argue with the subtle toned muscles of his arms and chest, and even with his stupid haircut, he still couldn’t take his eyes off him. As he looked closer, he could just make out the thin black lines of a tattoo on his left arm, but couldn’t make out what it was because only half of it was lit up by the lamp light from the window. Maybe he’d ask about it when he was soberer.

 It was almost a godsend that the room was so dark, because where he was, he was sure Keith wouldn’t be able to see him staring for a little too long. At least, he hoped as much. He seemed a little more subdued than he was on the way, but was still fidgeting around on his side of the bed as he tried to get comfortable. Lance simply pretended to be asleep as he silently kept an eye on him, not wanting to wake up and find Keith gone. He decided that it would be best to stay awake until Keith fell asleep, because he wasn’t entirely sure he could trust him to leave him alone if he passed out before he did.

“Lance?” Keith whispered after a few minutes of silence with no movement. “You awake?”

He debated whether he should reply or not, but he knew that even in Keith’s current state it would be difficult to convince him he was asleep. He lifted his head a little and turned to face him. “I am now,” He whispered back.

“M’sorry,” He said, turning to face Lance properly as he lay down and pulled the thin sheets up to his chin. “I’m a pain in the ass, aren’t I?”

Lance snorted. “You can say that again, Kogane,” Keith smiled slightly. “But You wouldn’t be the infamous Keith Kogane if you weren’t a pain in the ass,”

“I guess…” His smile faded as he spoke, and he averted his eyes, looking the soberest he had all night. “M’sorry for being a pain tonight… It won’t happen again,”

“It’s okay, Keith… Just try not to get into too much trouble from now on, okay?” Lance asked. “Oh… And if you do, try not to get the cops on you again. I can only do so much, but I know that not even my good looks can get you out of that,”

It was strange. Keith and Lance had spoken face to face only a few times before, and yet it was like they had been friends for years. Not only did Lance sneak out for him, but he drove him somewhere safe and essentially risked his life to make sure that he didn’t pass out on the street. The only person to ever do something like that for him was Shiro, and he knew that even at a time like this he would probably have left him on his own in the motel just to teach him a lesson about staying out late and drinking. Lance was different, that Keith knew, but it wasn’t a bad kind of different. It was comfortable, not unbearable.

He didn’t know when he fell asleep, but the following morning he woke to the sound of curtains being tore open and light burning into his eyelids. He groaned and pulled his pillow over his head, wishing anything other than the inevitability of getting up and back to the Garrison to greet him when he opened his tired eyes. Keith half expected Lance to shake him awake, or at least try and convince him to move the pillow off his face, but when he wasn’t even disturbed from his comfort of the scratchy sheets, it surprised him.

In fact, his wakeup call was extremely pleasant. He hadn’t heard Lance leave the motel at all, but when he was eventually nudged on the shoulder gently and he sat up, there he sat on the side of the bed with a Starbucks bag and 2 coffees. Keith smiled slightly and rubbed his eyes before he groaned, feeling the throbbing in his head as he managed to shuffle his way to the top of the bed and lean against the wall. It was a shock that he remembered anything that had happened at all, but the previous night was burned into his memory much more vividly than he expected it to be.

“Morning, Mullet,” Lance greeted quietly. It was clear he was trying to be as quiet as possible, which Keith appreciated. There was no sense in trying to hide how hungover he was; he figured from just the feel of his hair and skin that he looked like shit, and frankly, he didn’t care whether Lance cared or not. “Buddy system for the day comes with a wake-up call and some classing Lance McClain hangover cures,” He placed the bag and the drinks down on the nightstand by Keith’s side.

“You… You got Starbucks?” Keith asked in a gravelly voice, a small, amused smirk on his face. “Where are your Ugg boots, white girl?”

Lance snorted. “It’s all for you. I got green tea for the hangover, coffee to wake you up, and then some cookies and a croissant because you really need to eat and soak up the alcohol,” He explained as he walked over to the mirror which was hung dangerously on the wall by the side of the bed. Keith eyed the food suspiciously.

“What did you do to it?” He asked. Lance looked at him with a blank face.

“Why would I do anything to it? I need to get you back to the Garrison before it gets too late and we blow our cover-“

“Cover?” Keith asked. “Who else did you tell?” He was getting defensive now. He knew it wasn’t necessary, because Lance probably had his scholarship on the line just as much as he did for being out all night.

“Dude chill,” He said, sitting at the edge of the bed. “My friends Hunk and Pidge are covering for us. As far as the Garrison knows, we’re having a sleepover in your room. Pidge even stilled CCTV so we won’t get caught sneaking back in later,”

Keith didn’t know what to say. He knew that Lance was trying to keep him out of trouble, but covering for him like that instead of just leaving him in the motel to make his own way back? He couldn’t understand it. Without asking any more questions, or even saying anything else, he ate the breakfast Lance had brought back and drank both of the drinks before getting up and dressing, his nose wrinkling at the scent of stale alcohol and that oh-so-familiar scent of regret on his clothes.

Before they left, he checked his phone, which was almost dead thanks to him not being able to charge it the night before. His eyes widened at the number of missed calls displayed on the screen. What he thought would just be from Shiro, he found to be a mixture of calls form his parents, his best friend, and even Matt. His night of adventures was going to take some explaining when he got around to it.

But first, Lance took him back to the Garrison, parked the hover bike exactly where it had been the previous night, and then helped Keith climb into the window of his dorm, insisting that if it was to look convincing, he would have to climb in too. Reluctantly, he agreed, hauling Lance up into the room and immediately messing the floor up so it looked like somebody had slept there.

Maybe Lance McClain wasn’t so bad after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith's white lies about his adventure out of the Garrison build up quickly, and once pressured by his best friend, all is revealed. 
> 
> With nobody to motivate him to keep in line with the rules of the Garrison, he turns to the infamous Garrison trio to keep him occupied until his next attempt at freedom.

(12:03) Shiro: So, you’re not even gonna deny sneaking out last night, even if Iverson asks?

(12:03) Keith: I didn’t sneak out. Lance stayed in my room, we just had to go outside to fetch the pizza when it got here

(12:05) Shiro: Sureeeeee

(12:05) Shiro: What happened to him being annoying anyway? I thought you didn’t like him?

(12:06) Keith: He isn’t that bad. He is annoying, but he has great taste in pizza and payed for my coffee this morning so I’m not gonna complain

(12:07) Shiro: So, are you two like… Dating or something now??

(12:07) Shiro: Not that I’d care if you were, it’s totally your life and whatever

(12:07) Shiro: And as long as you’re still my reluctant best friend that’s cool

(12:09) Keith: JESUS HOW DID YOU JUMP TO THAT CONCLUSION?!

(12:09) Shiro: He stayed in your dorm last night?? In the dorm of the mythical Keith Kogane who never leaves his room unless it’s for food or to get high, and hates the people in the Garrison so much that he would – and I quote – ‘rather chew off his own ballsack than spend longer than a day with any of them’.

(12:10) Keith: When did I say that? Jesus, I must have been fucked up…

(12:12) Shiro: You were almost passed out on the floor in my apartment and Matt wanted to stay over. It was the night we used you to play buckaroo and you trashed the place when you woke up and Matt was putting a cactus on your face.

(12:14) Keith: That was the evillest shit you’ve ever pulled, I had spines in my face for 2 days.

(12:15) Shiro: You survived though didn’t you?

Shiro had been too busy to have a proper conversation face to face since Keith’s night out, but that didn’t stop him from prying where he didn’t need to. Honestly, Keith felt a little relief in knowing that he wouldn’t tell his parents what had happened, but that didn’t mean that he was going to tell his friend that he had left the Garrison at the smallest mention of some free drugs and a box of free chicken nuggets as long as he brought a hover bike out to show his friends. Shiro wouldn’t exactly be disappointed or angry, because he knew not to expect any less from Keith. It was one of the reasons they had become friends in the first place.

Now, Shiro had been practically adopted by his parents and he wouldn’t be able to avoid him even if he wanted to. As a kid, he struggled making friends because other kids simply made him angry or irritated, and his anger issues were always thought of as something to avoid. He couldn’t help it. They were just idiots. Keith wasn’t an idiot – he knew he was smart, he got good grades, always perfect scores on his tests, and where others couldn’t see why, he simply put it down to the fact that he actually studied instead of wasting his time making friends with people who were too annoying to stay in the same room with for longer than his lesson was limited to.

Shiro was a few years older than he was. He guessed that was why he found talking to him different. Where his classmates lacked maturity, and spent their days living in their imagination, Shiro asked real questions, treated him like he wasn’t just a kid and spoke to him like an equal rather than an outcast. When Shiro moved schools, Keith stayed quiet in his classroom again, only answering questions when he was asked, but always managing to get himself into trouble for fighting. Shiro wouldn’t be angry at him for it when he told him. He understood.

By the time Keith started high school, fights became a regular occurrence, and although Shiro was always stood on the side-lines making sure he didn’t get into trouble, him enabling his behaviour silently was not what the school would want. At first, Keith stopped asking Shiro to watch his back, so that he wouldn’t get in trouble if someone saw one of the star students watching some kids fighting around the back of the school. Shiro agreed on the premise that Keith tried not to fight as much so that he could keep the younger boy from a little more trouble.

Nothing had changed much.

“I told you to back off,” Keith practically growled through gritted teeth as he roughly shoved the man against the wall down the side street with a threatening glare in his eyes. “What happened to no questions?”

The man shoved him away. “You being underage happened. I’m not selling anything to a kid,” He snapped. Keith didn’t want to listen to it. He knew his dealer was right. He had been lying about his age since he started going to him after his last dealer found out about his age too, but he hadn’t planned on being found out this time. He understood how much trouble the guy would be in if he kept selling to him, but it wasn’t his problem. In his eyes, he was paying far too much for the drugs anyway, so most of the money was compensation for doing him a favour.

“Come on, it’s hardly gonna be a problem,” Keith insisted. “I just need the usual, then I’ll leave you alone,”

“Not happening,” The man told him as he climbed into his car. “And if I find you asking again, I won’t go so easy on you,”

And with that, he drove off, leaving Keith empty handed in a quiet street, with money to buy drugs in his pocket. Frustrated, he kicked a can that was lying on the floor down the street as hard as he could, letting it topple into the road as he watched it. What else was he supposed to do with his time now? Actually have to talk to people like Lance and not have a good enough excuse to avoid Shiro’s matches? All he wanted from the day was to get something from his dealer that would help him calm down after the already stressful day he’d had in classes.

First, he completely fucked up on one of his practice exam papers that was definitely important. He didn’t mean to. It kind of just became his last priority while he was trying to avoid Lance to stop Shiro thinking anything was going on, because it wasn’t. He appreciated what Lance had done for him, and was still in the stages of appreciation as he kept helping him out of his run ins with Iverson and getting him out of trouble, but to call Lance a friend might just be a step too far yet.

His usually structured studying became Keith lazily reading through his text books and only half paying attention to the information on the page. Most of the times he had tried to put his head down and get something done, he’d get distracted but the noise from the people in the dorm next to his, or Lance would send him a stupid text asking him a question that he really didn’t need to answer, but he would anyway. Where Keith was starting to get frustrated by the constant talking, Shiro simply found it funny, and insisted on making fun out of Keith whenever the opportunity arose.

So, as he sat in Shiro’s apartment just outside of the Garrison campus, he tried to ignore the constant bullying. Of course, he knew that Shiro wasn’t being serious and that everything he was saying was just a joke at his expense, so he wouldn’t have to get too angry like he usually would. Shiro’s apartment was like a safe place for Keith to go to when he needed a break from the real world. It wasn’t too far away, and because of Shiro being a senior at the Garrison, he always got away with staying there if he was caught out of grounds.

Tonight was one of their usual nights in, where they would usually just order pizza and watch stupid videos on Youtube, making it a competition to see who would crack first and laugh. With the addition of alcohol to the evening, the competition which usually leaned in Keith’s favour became much more difficult. Thankfully, it was the end of the week; a Friday night where they wouldn’t have to worry about being in any classes the following day, and could easily sleep in until 2pm the following day without feeling guilty about it.

“Okay, so you ordered pizza and he stayed in your dorm, and you expect me to believe that nothing happened?” Shiro asked as they sorted their food once it had arrived. Keith sighed, wishing Shiro would just drop it already.

“He slept on the floor,” He told him for the 8th time in an hour. “And we literally just watched some shitty tv shows and talked. It really wasn’t that thrilling,”

“But you had fun?” Shiro asked with a raised eyebrow. Keith flipped him off and took his pizza back over to the sofa and slumping down into the crease he had been sat in for the last few hours. “Come on, I thought we told each other everything!”

That, Keith felt bad for.

Of course, he and Shiro were best friends, and he trusted him with his life. But there was something about telling the older man about him sneaking out of the Garrison and hardly remembering anything that he didn’t feel comfortable with telling him. So, the lies started to pile up, little white lie after little white lie, and now, he was sat on his own shitstorm of a creation that included a sleepover in his dorm that technically didn’t happen.

In Keith’s eyes, he had just twisted the truth. Sure, he and Lance had spent the night together in the Motel because he couldn’t get back into the Garrison in the state he was in, so that warranted as a sleepover. And yes, technically they did get food, because Keith distinctly remembered offering Lance some of his chicken nuggets while they were trying to find a resolution to the problem at hand. Hell, he’d even told the truth about Lance buying him breakfast, although it seemed that the reason Shiro thought something had happened that night was because he’d let that information slip.

“Look, it’s not like that. He’s annoying, sure, but he gave me free food and I was hardly gonna turn down breakfast when it tasted free,” He shoved another slice of pizza into his mouth after he’d finished speaking and started playing the next video on the tv.

Shiro took the remote and paused it. “Come on, I want the details. You’ve been avoiding the subject all week and I’m starting to get worried,” He told him. Keith sighed and let his arms fall to his sides. “You can trust me, you know that,”

“I know, it’s just…” He sighed again. “I don’t want you to yell or be disappointed, because I know you will ne even if you say you won’t so-“

Shiro’s face dropped slightly. “Keith I’m really worried… I promised your parents I’d look out for you, and I can’t do that if you don’t tell me what’s wrong. If something happened you need to tell me,” He insisted. “And I’m not going to be mad at you. I think I know better than anybody that it doesn’t work to yell. There isn’t anything you could do that would disappoint me- well… unless you killed someone but-“

Keith smiled and let out a small laugh. “I didn’t kill anybody, I promise,” Shiro smiled.

“Then come on. Why have you been avoiding Lance McClain for the last week after your ‘sleepover’?”

So, although reluctant at first, Keith told Shiro everything. He genuinely thought his best friend was going to stop him halfway through the story to give him some lecture about how he needed to stop prioritising drugs over his Garrison education, but to his surprise, Shiro simply say and listened to him. He didn’t say a word as Keith spoke; as he told him about the party that he had planned on going to, about the drugs and the alcohol he had consumed alongside it, and about how he had driven the hoverbike, drunk and high, to a McDonalds so he could sit and eat chicken nuggets at a ridiculous time in the morning.

He explained the real reason he had claimed he and Lance had stayed in his room that night. He told him all about the motel and how Lance had managed to drive the bike with him on the back and safely get somewhere he could sleep off the after effects of the various illegal substances running through his veins. Looking over at Shiro once he had finished speaking, he expected to see a disappointed expression, but instead, was greeted with a warm smile.

“You know how I’m your best friend and everything?” Shiro questioned. Keith nodded slightly, waiting for the twist where the older man threatened to tell his parents what he had done and have him immediately removed from the Garrison without being kicked out. “Why didn’t you call me and ask if I could fetch you? I thought I was the only number in your phone other than your dealer,”

Keith paused for a moment.

“I… I don’t actually know,” He stated honestly. “I was really fucked up, so I guess I could have just called the wrong number. But I didn’t die I guess, so…”

Shiro laughed a little. “You’re such an idiot, Kogane.”

After telling him what really happened, the two of them went about the rest of their Friday night without a thought, and Shiro even managed to get a little drunk for a change, which Keith had immediately started recording on his phone in secret whenever he started laughing uncontrollably at nothing.

At least he was off the hook now.

 

 

_Group chat: BlueBOI, Gordon Ramsey’s Replacement, Pidgeon._

22nd September 2017

14:47pm

Gordon Ramsey’s Replacement: Iverson just tried to pull Shiro out of a lecture, did you guys see it?

Pidgeon: Golden boy Shiro? As in, Matt’s friend Shiro? Kerberos selection Shiro?

Gordon Ramsey’s Replacement: He’s the only Shiro I know at the Garrison

Gordon Ramsey’s Replacement: But Shiro wasn’t having any of it, and Montgomery didn’t want him out of classes either.

Pidgeon: I’ll ask Matt later. He’ll know what happened

BlueBOI: He didn’t exactly look happy earlier when I saw him near the gym with Kogane

Gordon Ramsey’s Replacement: And why exactly were you trying to stalk him again Lance? That’s like, the 4th time this week you’ve accidentally ran into Keith in the hall

Pidgeon: I’m calling a crush, but you can pay me once we know for sure

Gordon Ramsey’s Replacement: Sure, how much?

Pidgeon: $10

Gordon Ramsey’s Replacement: Done.

BlueBOI: Hey! You know that the rule with betting on someone is that the person you’re betting on gets half of the money, right??

Pidgeon: We don’t all have the siblings to get rich quick like you do, Lance. That’s a move that isn’t gonna work us

Gordon Ramsey’s Replacement: That’s bullshit, all you’ve gotta do is not have a crush on him and I’ve won the bet

BlueBOI: You’ve already won man, but you now owe me $5 for agreeing to bet on me

Gordon Ramsey’s Replacement: Totally not fair.

Pidgeon: Bets aside, did you hear what Shiro was saying??

BlueBOI: Sorry Pidge, I didn’t have my spy equipment on me today

 

If Lance had spy equipment, he would have used it though.

He’d be lying if he said that the conversation hadn’t spiked his curiosity, but lately, everything that concerned the mysterious Keith Kogane had been interesting him. In the week since his late-night escapade to get drunk and high, Keith had been oddly quiet, only speaking to Lance over text and otherwise avoiding him at all costs. At first, Lance thought Keith was just embarrassed about what had happened, but he seemed just like his usual self around everyone else other than him. He silently wondered whether helping him out when he needed it was a good idea or not.

In fact, he hadn’t just wondered this aloud. His conversations with Pidge and Hunk had practically all been about what had happened for the whole week, whether it be them asking him questions, or him asking advice on what he should do about it. In all honesty, Lance had no idea what to do in a situation like this. He had never been friends with someone as self-destructive as Keith was, and after a year of knowing him from a distance only, he soon figured out that he really didn’t know much about him.

He’d known Hunk for years. They’d been childhood friends and knew everything there was to know about one another. In fact, he classed Hunk’s house as a second home when they weren’t at the Garrison for classes. He had stayed over on so many occasions that Hunk’s parents didn’t even seem surprised when he would waltz into the house uninvited and start a casual conversation with them. With Hunk, he had the most comfortable friendship possible. Even Pidge, who he had only known for the same amount of time as they had known Keith, was familiar. She had opened up to them very early on, and he considered her as good a friend as Hunk was.

But when it came to Keith, Lance wasn’t familiar, and that made him slightly uncomfortable. He knew that he had to convince the delinquent to open up to him, because he wasn’t exactly easy to read. They face-to-face conversations so far had been less than successful though, and he doubted whether he was actually going to be able to keep his promise to Iverson and keep him out of trouble. Perhaps he would have to change his approach.

“Lance, are you even listening?” Hunk asked as he waved his hand in front of his friend’s face. Lance blinked as he was drawn away from his thoughts and tried to regain the grasp of the conversation he had been having. “We were talking about getting some extra time on the simulator after the fail we had last week. We wanted to know if you were down for signing up with us for Monday after class,” Hunk reminded him.

“After class?” Lance asked.

Admittedly, he didn’t want to be back in the simulator room after his classes for the day were over. He used that time to try and take his mind off the day and maybe get some extra studying done if he was really feeling up to it. But he knew that he would remain at the level of cargo pilot forever if he didn’t get enough practice in, and he desperately wanted to see the look on Keith’s dumb face when he finally knocked him off his high horse and took his place as fighter pilot.

“We don’t have any other free time other than Monday; robotics club is on our asses because we missed 2 sessions last weeks so we’re making up for it this week instead,” Pidge explained. “But we can always go on our own if you-“

“No, I’m down,” He interrupted before she could finish. Hunk gave him a warm smile from across the table and their previous conversation continued.

The common room was almost empty, except for one or two people either napping on the chairs or getting some work done while there were computers free. For a Saturday, it was busy, but he, Pidge and Hunk had always spent their weekends inside the Garrison grounds, even if they were allowed out until their curfew. Of course, he would have loved to be able to drive into town and explore a little, but with the lack of a driver’s licence and no motivation to take his test yet, he found himself stuck at the Garrison with nothing to do while his friends talked robotics terms that he would never understand.

He spotted Keith after an hour or so of sitting in a comfortable quiet while Pidge and Hunk designed some new schematics on the back of an old timetable that had been left out on their table. Lance could tell that he was hungover; the dark circles under his eyes and his stumble as he walked was the giveaway, but he also took note of how he didn’t snap at the person who walked into him by accident while he was walking toward his locker. Maybe today was just a day of no social interaction for him? Lance never understood the people who needed those too often.

He didn’t mean to be caught staring. In fact, he didn’t even realise he was staring until Pidge kicked him off his seat to get his attention and he was, for the second time that day, pulled out of his own thoughts and back into the real world. He felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment as Keith looked over when he clattered to the floor ungracefully, but he soon collected himself and reclaimed his seat, trying to pretend that it had never happened and act as casually as he could.

“You okay?” Keith asked as he walked over almost silently. Lance looked up and nodded a little, glad that for the first time this week, Keith had actually acknowledged his existence rather than pretending they had never spoken before. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he had missed talking to Keith in person. His texts almost seemed reluctant, and although a lot of the time he seemed the same when people tried to speak to him face-to-face, it was actually a lot more pleasant than he’d initially expected it to be.

“He saw something he liked,” Pidge said monotonously as she added something to the rough schematics on the table. Lance moved to kick her in the shin under the table, but she moved out of the way. “It could be said that he fell for someone,”

Hunk snorted. “He’s a little out of it, that’s all,” He assured Keith. He nodded.

“Is anybody else sitting here?” Keith asked gingerly.

“No, come and take a seat. I’ve been pushed out of the conversation since they started thinking of building a nuclear powered toaster-“

“It’s a solar powered microwave Lance,” Pidge corrected.

“Same difference. Both are pretty pointless. When would you ever need a microwave outside?” He argued. Hunk shrugged slightly.

“Camping. I know I’m usually completely against using a microwave to nuke your food, but it could be useful,” He told him. Lance rolled his eyes slightly.

“Why are you always so logical? And what’s wrong with a good old-fashioned barbecue anyway?”

 

Keith had let his lips curl into a small smile as he listened to the conversation and took the seat next to Lance while the three of them were bickering among themselves. Lance included him as much as he could with Keith’s insistence on just listening, and for around an hour, he actually seemed like a normal person to everyone who was in the common room. Lance silently thanked Pidge for knocking him off the chair and drawing his attention to them. Having him sit with them and talk like a normal group of friends was a good start. Maybe it was the start of something more.

“So, what brings you back to the Garrison on a Saturday looking like shit, huh Kogane?” Lance asked him. Keith sighed and unconsciously rubbed his eyes.

“Rough night. I think the last few drinks were a mistake last night,” He said mid-yawn. “Just your average Friday night though, right?”

Pidge snorted. “You think we drink? Us?” She asked him. “Last time we got the chance to drink, Hunk threw up all over the hall outside his and Lance’s dorm and it reeked of thrown-up vodka out there for about 2 weeks,”

Keith scrunched his nose up but laughed slightly. “Please don’t tell me you were drinking it straight,”

“It wasn’t just that. Lance was insisting that we played Just Dance after doing shots, and alcohol doesn’t sit well when it can’t stay still,” Hunk said defensively. Lance shoved his shoulder slightly.

“Hey! Don’t you blame me for your gastrointestinal issues Hunk! We were just fine, and we had the same amount to drink,” He reminded him. Hunk pulled a face at him, only for Lance to return it with a more ridiculous one before breaking into laughter. “Just because you figured out that you’re much more of a lightweight than we are, doesn’t mean you can palm the blame off, buddy,” Keith could feel himself smiling. Why was he smiling so much?

“Anyway. The point is that since that day, we’ve stuck to Capri Sun and cookies,” Pidge added. “Keeps things cleaner and there’s less chance of the night ending in someone hurling outside the dorm. Plus, Hunk bakes the best cookies so there’s no complaints from us,”

“You know you’d probably be fine if you knew how alcohol worked properly,” Keith mused quietly. Lance turned to look at him curiously.

“What, and now you and your mullet are an expert on drinking too? What are you, some certified alcoholic?” Lance asked him. Keith narrowed his eyes slightly. “It’s a joke man,”

Keith eased up slightly, his shoulders relaxing a little. “I’ve been drinking long enough to know that you don’t drink vodka straight – or in my case, at all. If you’re throwing up because that’s all you’ve had, just drink something else,”

“You offering to show us how its done, Kogane?” Lance asked him. Keith paused for a second before letting his lips curl into a small smile. Maybe, just maybe, he could encourage Lance to put in a better word for him with Iverson, since he knew that he was being watched anyway. What better way was there to bribe a group of college students than the promise of alcohol?

“I guess, if you’re willing to sneak out,” He replied simply. Hunk’s eyes widened to the point that Keith thought they were going to pop out of his head, and Pidge nearly choked on her coffee. “What? You really think I can sneak alcohol into the Garrison without Iverson handing my ass to the police? No, if you want a party, we do it outside of the Garrison,”

“And how are we gonna go about that? None of us can drive and we have a curfew. There’s no chance we can get out of the Garrison to go to a party without Iverson kicking all of our asses,” Pidge noted. Keith Shrugged.

“I know a guy. Leave it with me and I’ll see what I can do,”

Apparently, his skills in sneaking around were going to come in handier than he expected. That was, at least, unless he was able to convince Shiro to host the smallest party he had ever held in his apartment for the entertainment of 3 people Keith wasn’t even sure he could call friends. He figured, however, that if he could somehow make himself more comfortable around other people, his time at the Garrison wouldn’t feel like walking over hot coals and maybe he would be able to feel like a normal kid. Maybe it would be so painful to have to get through his days if he wasn’t alone.

It was surprisingly nice for him to sit with other people rather than spending all his time at the Garrison alone. Usually, Keith didn’t mind the quiet. In fact, he preferred to keep to himself to make sure that he wasn’t going to be stabbed in the back by the first person who spoke to him. But this, this was so much different to what he expected it to be. He found himself smiling as he simply listened to the three friends bicker among themselves, and although he didn’t try to intrude on their conversation, they still included him.

Lance especially. He didn’t know why, but it was almost like he was trying to gain the approval of his friends while Keith was around. At first, he thought it was a bit much and tended to sink back into his seat and give very brief answers to his questions, but soon enough, he started to feel more comfortable. For the first time for as long as he could remember, he felt comfortable talking to somebody other than Shiro.

He didn’t stay for too long, claiming that he needed to go back to his dorm to study before Iverson got on his back again, but they didn’t question him. In fact, they kept their cheerful faces and casual conversation going as they waved him goodbye and he began to head back to his dorm. He wasn’t lying when he said he had to go. He had promised his mom that he’d call after all, and he didn’t particularly want to do that in the common room around so many people who would likely look at him funny. At least he had the privacy of his dorm room to speak to his family and lie about how well the year was going so far.

He flopped down onto his bed and kicked his shoes off, relieved to have some quiet time to himself despite how much he had enjoyed talking with Lance, Hunk and Pidge. He made a mental note that he would have to lie about his trip off the grounds when he spoke to his parents, and quickly rehearsed what his story was going to be in his head before picking his phone up out of his pocket and calling the number.

The phone barely rang twice before his mother’s familiar voice sounded cheerfully through the speaker. “Hey Keith… I didn’t think you were going to call today,”

“I promised, didn’t I?” He asked, receiving a small laugh from down the phone in response. “I thought I’d call just to let you know that I’m still breathing,”

“You don’t have to call every day… I just worry, that’s all…” She said softly. Keith smiled slightly. He knew she cared. He knew both of his parents cared. They just wanted the best for him, but in his eyes, what they saw as the best for him wasn’t what he wanted in the slightest. “So, how was your sleepover at Shiro’s house?”

Keith groaned. “Mom, I’m an adult. It wasn’t a sleepover, I’m not 5 anymore,” He complained. “But it was good… I got back to the Garrison earlier and sat with some people in the common room-“

“You what?” Another familiar voice asked. “My son actually wanted to interact with other humans? You’re kidding!”

Keith rolled his eyes as he heard both of his parents chuckling down the phone. “It’s just Lance and his friends from class… I don’t even know them very well, they just let me sit with them,”

“Who’s Lance?” His father asked. “He someone special?”

“No dad… Lance is the guy Iverson put on the buddy system. We’re kind of paid in extra credit for pretending to be friends,” He explained before they could assume anything, flopping back onto his bed with his knees up as he spoke. “Besides, Lance is annoying and obnoxious. Not my usual crowd,”

“I’m glad you’ve made some friends this year, Keith…” His mother said softly down the phone. He rolled his eyes. “I was starting to wonder if Shiro was going to be the only person you ever asked over,”

“Don’t get your hopes up, mom,” He warned. “I swear I’ve said the same thing before at some point,”

“You did. Whenever we got your report cards from school. We were never disappointed at your grades,” She reminded him. He let a small smile form on his face. “But, I’m going to assume you’ve got a busy evening with your new friends, so as long as we know you’re safe and happy, we’ll let you go,”

Keith smiled. “Okay mom… I’ll call you again next week okay?”

With the promise of weekly updates in the back of Keith’s mind constantly, he figured that he needed to actually have something to talk about while he was on the phone to his parents. Over the next few days, he tried to sit with Hunk, Lance and Pidge more often. During classes, he finished his work early and then sat and stared longingly out of the window, wishing he had brought his bike with him instead of leaving with Shiro in the car on the day the two of them set out for the Garrison.

He made a mental note to fetch it when he went home for Christmas.

His phone buzzed in his pocket after a while of sitting in silence, and he waited for a moment until Iverson had finished glancing around the room during a morning lecture, before deciding to check it under the desk. It was another text from Lance, but this time, there was at least some reasoning behind his words instead of his usual random questioning.

(10:36) Lance: What’s got you looking all emo?

(10:37) Keith: I don’t know what you mean

(10:37) Lance: You’ve been staring at the window like you want to fucking jump for nearly half an hour, are you okay?

(10:37) Lance: I mean, if its because of the class, I feel you

(10:38) Keith: I guess. I already know all this stuff. I finished the assignment in the first 20 minutes

(10:38) Lance: WHAT?

(10:39) Lance: HOW?!

(10:40) Keith: Iverson has a display at the back of the room with all the answers to the questions, but I write pretty quickly so it never takes long.

(10:41) Lance: You’re a dick. Do you know how frustrating it is that you can do everything so easily?

(10:41) Lance: Like, I had to study my ass off to get into the Garrison last year. I bet you didn’t even have to try, did you?

(10:42) Keith: What’s your problem with me?

The pause in their conversation was unintentional, but it set him on edge nonetheless. He silently cursed Iverson for turning around and asking Lance a question and causing him to put his phone away, because he just wanted an answer. There was no way he could sit in silence and listen to the rest of the lecture with the question hanging in the air like that. He needed to know what he was doing wrong.

Sweat on his palms made it difficult for him to grip the pencil in his hand as he silently doodled in the corner of his book. Why was it that whenever he tried to make friends with someone, he always ended up getting angry at them and scaring them away? He hoped that Lance wasn’t about to ditch him like everybody else seemed to, but at the same time, he had an unbelievable urge to tell him to shove the buddy system up his ass.

The lecture ended, and Keith hurried out of the room like he was fleeing from something deadly. In his eyes, confrontation with Lance was just as deadly as fleeing from a pack of hungry lions, and he wasn’t sure whether that was for him, or for the other party this time. Despite his efforts, Lance still managed to catch up to him as he turned the corner of the corridor to get back to his dorm, placing a hand on his shoulder and forcing him to turn around. Not bothering to change his expression, Keith shot Lance a warning glare, but it didn’t deter him.

“You want to know what my problem is?” He snapped, the anger clearly present in his face. Keith kept his stare as he was shoved backwards into the lockers. “You don’t even take a minute to think about how fucking lucky you are. You have everything you could ever ask for set out right in front of you on a fucking silver platter, but you don’t give a shit about the rest of us who actually have to work for it.”

Keith didn’t say anything; mainly because he didn’t want to get angry at Lance, but partly because he didn’t expect him to be so harsh about it. He’d never really seen Lance angry before, but now, with his brow creased in frustration and his jaw set, Keith realised that he had unintentionally annoyed the only person who was stopping him from being thrown out of the Garrison doors and onto his ass.

“Got nothing to say?” He snapped. “Fuck you.”

Lance backed away, swinging his bag over his shoulder and walking in the opposite direction, and leaving Keith stood against the lockers, speechless.


End file.
